LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 August 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Premier stated last night that there is enough wheat at present in the dominion to last until next season. The total number of cases of sickness in the various military hospitals yesterday was 172, including six cases of cernbro spinal meningitis. The Palmerston North Borough Council will formally take over the gasworks from the Palmerston Gas Company on Friday next, August 27. The Otago University Council has accepted a tender for £13,645 for the new block of buildings for the Medical School. At the Hunt Club's meet at Manaia on Wednesday, two members put up their horses for the day's hunting on behalf of tho Wounded Soldiers' Fund, and realised £l4 and £ls respectively. The Stratford Scottish Society and the Kgmont Club last night passed motions of sympathy with the relatives of Captain T. P. James, of Stratford, who has fallen at the Dardanelles. Wo acknowledge receipt of a cheque for £IOO, for tho Wounded Soldiers' Fund, from the Punilio Ladies' Patriotic Committee, and shall have much pleasure in handing it over to the proper authorities. A statement brought down by the treasurer of the Patca Patriotic Fund Showed that the' sum of £2025 19s nd had been received for various patriotic purposes to date/ and had been duly audited by Mr. K. C. Horner, the auditor appointed by the executive. The hockey match between Inglewood and Hawera teams on AVednesday ended in a win for the Inglewood team by three to one. Evetts scored two of Inglewood's goals and Hayner the other, while Coleman scored for Hawera. Mr. Rolstoii hud charge of the game, and gave complete satisfaction all round. The'Eltham County Council has arranged with Mi'. Grayling, of New Plymouth, to undertake the strengthening of the old bridge over the Patea river so as to enable a load of from two to three tons to be taken over. Omona settlers will be pleasd to hear that work will commence on Monday next.

In the House yesterday, replying to a question, the Premier said that the ease of Professor von Sedlitz had been treated by the Government the same as any other alien cuse, and had been referred to the Aliens' Committee, who had examined witnesses and reported. He was quite prepared to have printed such of the evidence taken as was not confidential. At the annual meeting of the Opua Dairy Factory, held.on Thursday night, it was decided to contribute one per cent, on the year's output towards the patriotic funds, 75 per cent, to go to the Wounded Soldiers' Fund, 25 per cent, to the Belgians. The chairman (Mr. J. I'eaver) was voted an honorarium of £lO, of which he instructed the secretary to place £5 to the Belgian Fund ami .05 to the Wounded Soldiers' Fund. The oil painting, "Androeles and the Lion," presented to Auckland by the artist, Briton Biviere, has arrived, and will be hung in the Auckland Art Cudlery shortly. This well-known picture was given to the city by the artist as "an expression, long felt, of my respect and admiration of the. kindly patriotism for the Mother Country, of which New Zealand has given' such distinguished proofs." The extraordinary advance made in educational methods during the last HO years in the Wanganui Education District was referred to by Mr. F. Pi rani in the course of his annual report to the Education Board (says the Chronicle). In 1890 there w:ere 123 schools, 202 teachers, and 10,080 pupils. At the present time there are 21!) schools, 548 teacher?, and 16,200 pupils. In 1890 the totai receipts amounted to £39,581. During the last year the sum of £114,351 passed through the Board's hands. The Auckland Gas Company (says a Press Association message) sull'ered loss as the result of the activities of a man who, for some days, has been going from house to house impersonating a reader of meters. Where there was no shilling-iu-the-slot attachment, he simply examined the dial and went away, but, being provided with keys, he opened all meters containing shillings, and carried off the coin. He is believed to have secured a considerable sum, and urgcyt enquiries are now being made as to his whereabouts.

A Marton hoy, writing from the Dardanelles, furnishes some interesting information with regard to the whereabouts of Kitchener's n.:W army, about which there have been all sorts of rumors of late.' He states that the gigantic Ouiiard liners the Maurctania and Aquctania brought out no less than 7000 men in each vessel, and at Lemnos he saw a few of Kitchener's new army. The place he describes as being full of Zouaves, Ghurkas, Senegalese, Sikhs, Tommies, and Highlanders. There is evidently a warm time in store for the Turks.

Mr. R. Masters, reporting in connection with his rcent visit to the authorities in Wellington on the matter of the establishment of a separate High School, states that the Minister (Hon. Mr. Hanan) had only taken office that day, and was not acquainted with the finances of the Department. However, lie was very sympathetic with the project, and recognised the fact that the disestablishment of the District High School and the establishment of a separate High School was warranted. The Sinister will in all probability visit the district shortly and go fully into the matter. Mr. Masters also brought under the Minister's notice several matters in connection with education in other parts of the province.

In the Auckland Supreme Court yesterday two brothers, Angus Black ami John Black, were found guilty of theft from the person, and in view of long IhHs of convictions against each, eacli was sentenced to live years' imprisonment. —Press Association. The Svducy I'o j;i. alive IJj.'.'.g!- Jiox Company, which, upon starting, failed to secure supplies of suitable timber and was compelled to Import Japanese limber, at the annual meeting added £SOOO to the reserve and. induced the prieo of boxes IVL'd each. The following Taranaki men have volunteered for active service with the expeditionary force:—G. 11. Knight, New iPlymouth; I'. K Stainluii. New Plymouth; H. I). Shaw, New il'lymouth; K Loveridgc, Omata; H. If. Russell, New Plymouth; M. 1). Julian, New Plymouth; R. W. McKcnzic. Wailara; V. I. Gill, Okato; B. R. Rcnner, New Plymouth; Callaghan, Xew Plymouth; \V. R. Ainsworth, Now Plymouth; W. Sofl'e, waitam; H, R. Lawrence; D. Williams, New Plymouth; If. S. Hooker, New Plymouth. Mr. R. Masters, reporting in connection with his recent visit to the authorities in Wellington on the matter of the establishment of a separate High School at Stratford, stales that the Minister (Hon. Mr. Hauan) hud only taken office that day and was not acquainted with the finances of the Department. However, he was very sympathetic with the project, and recognised that the disestablishment of the District High School and the establishment of a separate High School was warranted. The Minister will in all probability visit the district shortly and go fully into the mutter. There is every prospect of a large gathering on Tuesday evening at th-> Good Templars' Hall, for the opening night of the Britannia Fair. The various stall-holders have for some time been busily engaged. The building will be decorated in red, white, and blue, and each evening there will be an hour's musical programme, given by the Citizens' Band, ■and a number of leading vocalists will also take part. As the price of admission is within the reach of all, and the proceeds are to assist the Salavtion Army in their splendid work amongst the poor, the hall should be packed for the three nights. At a meeting at Ellham the Mayor (Mr. B. Dive) quoted figures showing that the present financial conditoin of Eltham is unsatisfactory, the debt of the borough being approximately £60,000. On March 31, 1010, the debit account was £383. In 1911 it stood at £«(!; in 1»12, £4150. The reason for the increase that year was that the money had been expended in anticipation of loans for the purchase of the municipal buildings, gas works, etc., otherwise the money would have been in credit. In 1913 the indebtedness was £1880; in 1914, £3564; while this year it was .-C;ISiT. This increase had been brought about by the purchase, of the. tar depot section, steam roller, and the improvement of the roads. Unfortunately for the present council the financial position was a difficult one, inasmuch as only £2200 remained of the estimated receipts to meet estimated liabilities of £81)00 for the current year. Moreover, it would not be sufficient to meet interest and sinking fund .on loans. During the next three or four months the position would be a difficult one Before anv revenue was derived from rates.

The following are (he results of the examinations of New Plymouth. children conducted by the Auckland Baptist Sunday School Union: —Elsie Finlay (third grade|, second-class certificate; May A. L. Gillespie (fourth grade), honors certificate; Edna Blanche Hales (fifth .grade), honors certificate; Bertha Dorothy Elliott (fifth grade), first-class certificate; Myrtle Howell (fifth grade), fir.st-elass oortifuate; Mary Coleman {fifth grade), first-class certificate; Elsie May Hoiinor (fifth grade), second-class certificate; Muriel Jessie Gillespie (fifth grade), second-class certificate: Maggie Shepherd (sixtli grade), first-class certificate; Karena A. Elliott (sixtli grade), first-class certificate; Cecil Honnor (seventh grade), honor.? certificate; Isabel Hn.rrc (seventh grade), honors ce.rtificate; Stuart Elliot (seventh grade), first-class certificate; Lizzie Elliot (seventh grade), first-class certificate; Molly Goodacre (seventh grade), firstclass certificate. As most of the entertainments lately have lioon for the wounded soldiers ar.il hospital funds, the members of the local branch of the Girls' Friendly Society have decided to give half the pioceedV, oT their entertainment, to be ho).! in St. Mary's Hall on Thursday, Eieplemb.'r I), to the Belgian Relief Fund. A full j,rogr.in.nie will be advertised ',ai:r. An advertisement in this isiii'? calls attention to the only representative football match that will be played in Now Plymouth this season, that between Auckland and Taranaki, vr.'iieii nil! Like place on the Keereatiou Urouui next .Thursday. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company and Messrs Webster, Dobson and Co., wish to draw the attention of the public to their Stratford sale, which they are holding in their Stratford yards on August 21th. Full particulars will be found on Pace 8.